On a Snow Day
Name:
Phillip Edwin Gold
Hometown:
Madison, WI USA
Birth date:
June 11th 1986
High School:
Robert M. LaFollette High School
College:
University of Wisconsin Platteville (2004-2006)
American University of Rome (2006)
University of Wisconsin Madison (2006-2008) *BA History
Musical Background:
Mostly it came about from listening to alot of records and my parents being big musical fans. My parents bought me alot of toy instruments and I think that and their musical tastes played a big role in being eclectic in terms of taste. Both parents sang in choir as kids and my dad was taught piano growing up so he was always an amateur pianist. I played violin for a year in elementary school and learned enough of the required songs to enter the All City Strings Festival. I took up guitar at 14 really seriously and had two years of lessons but I considered my self mostly self-taught as the lessons were just mastering chord progressions and scales in repetition. From there I taught myself bass, drums, harmonica and keyboards. I played guitar in jazz band for two years in high school and one in college. I've also been in various high school and college bands, ranging from garage bands to poetry art rock to punk bands.
Where did you grow up?
Madison, WI USA
What were some non-musical jobs you had?
Babysitter, Courtesy (bagger of groceries), Caterer (for 1 day, Store Clerk, Cashier, Eyecare Advisor, Salesman
When did you pick up the instrument?
I got my first serious interest in guitar at around age 14 and took lessons for two years after that. Then I progressed from there to things like bass, drums, piano/keyboards and harmonica.
Who are your musical heroes? Why?
Well some constants include all of the Beatles, particularly John Lennon because of his honesty and the willingness to experiment and maintain integrity. Iggy Pop for his confrontational style and his honesty and his willingness to experiment. PJ Harvey for her voice and her changing styles. Radiohead for being rulebreakers and door openers. Mike Patton for his voice, sense of humor and millions of side projects. David Bowie for many of the same reasons I listed the others. I seriously could go on and on...I'll end it with my friend David Clerkin for opening me up to alot of punk bands and for showing me the fun of live music. I hated your band but at least they were fun to see.
Top 5 recording artists:
This changes alot... let's go with lately
Crystal Castles
Samael
Mike Patton
Lady Gaga
PJ Harvey
Top 5 records:
Shit this changes alot too...more things I listen to alot lately
Crystal Castles- I/II (which I'm counting as 1)
PJ Harvey- Uh huh Her
Bjork- Greatest Hits
Minutemen- Double Nickels on the Dime
Manic Street Preachers- Journal for Plague Lovers
Top 5 songs...that I've been listening to alot lately
"The Last Day of our Acquaintance" Sinead O'Connor
"Empathy" Crystal Castles
"Svefn n Englar" Sigur Ros
"Christian Woman" Type o Negative
"Eye" The Smashing Pumpkins
What made you want to become a musician?
I'm not sure I think being artistic in some sort of avenue runs in my family so it's probably partially genetic and environmental as well. I always was musical but I didn't realize it was such a passion until about 13 or 14. I started writing alot of journal entries and poetry around then and lyrics kinda evolved from that and then I thought I could take up guitar and sing and everything else then alot more clear to me. It became a way to communicate and that was more important than anything else I had in my life.
What would you do if you weren’t a musician?
It's too hard to imagine me not doing music I'd be dead I'll always have music in me even if I end up a librarian or some sort of teacher but I'll always be a musician.
Was there a record/movie/concert that changed your life?
Seeing my friend David's bands in high school, notably the Chauvinists opened me up to the possibilities of playing live. I despised the music they made but they and the crowd seemed to have a lot of fun and that in itself made an impression on me.
What’s your favorite and least favorite things about live performance?
My favorite things include having the feeling of songs you wrote alone at 4 in the morning in your room with a guitar and notebook coming to life as you imagined it in your head then seeing people bobbing their heads and tapping their feet to it. I also like it when the sound is good, you get free drinks and you get money. Oh seeing other good bands on the bill is a highlight too.
My least favorite things about live performance are the sound being bad, the band's playing sucking, the stage lights being warm and the others bands we play with being crappy bands I don't think we've played on a bill yet where we liked most of the other acts.
What’s your favorite and least favorite things about studio recordings?
My favorite studio things are turning it into a laboratory and tweaking with things until the sound is just right. It's a good outlet for my OCD.
My least favorite thing about being in the studio is waiting around for your turn to do things and probably not being in the studio at all. I like studios and what you can do in them.
What’s your worst nightmare?
Not doing music anymore at all in any capacity
What’s your greatest fantasy?
Being a millionaire rockstar with an extensive book collection
Phillip Edwin Gold
Hometown:
Madison, WI USA
Birth date:
June 11th 1986
High School:
Robert M. LaFollette High School
College:
University of Wisconsin Platteville (2004-2006)
American University of Rome (2006)
University of Wisconsin Madison (2006-2008) *BA History
Musical Background:
Mostly it came about from listening to alot of records and my parents being big musical fans. My parents bought me alot of toy instruments and I think that and their musical tastes played a big role in being eclectic in terms of taste. Both parents sang in choir as kids and my dad was taught piano growing up so he was always an amateur pianist. I played violin for a year in elementary school and learned enough of the required songs to enter the All City Strings Festival. I took up guitar at 14 really seriously and had two years of lessons but I considered my self mostly self-taught as the lessons were just mastering chord progressions and scales in repetition. From there I taught myself bass, drums, harmonica and keyboards. I played guitar in jazz band for two years in high school and one in college. I've also been in various high school and college bands, ranging from garage bands to poetry art rock to punk bands.
Where did you grow up?
Madison, WI USA
What were some non-musical jobs you had?
Babysitter, Courtesy (bagger of groceries), Caterer (for 1 day, Store Clerk, Cashier, Eyecare Advisor, Salesman
When did you pick up the instrument?
I got my first serious interest in guitar at around age 14 and took lessons for two years after that. Then I progressed from there to things like bass, drums, piano/keyboards and harmonica.
Who are your musical heroes? Why?
Well some constants include all of the Beatles, particularly John Lennon because of his honesty and the willingness to experiment and maintain integrity. Iggy Pop for his confrontational style and his honesty and his willingness to experiment. PJ Harvey for her voice and her changing styles. Radiohead for being rulebreakers and door openers. Mike Patton for his voice, sense of humor and millions of side projects. David Bowie for many of the same reasons I listed the others. I seriously could go on and on...I'll end it with my friend David Clerkin for opening me up to alot of punk bands and for showing me the fun of live music. I hated your band but at least they were fun to see.
Top 5 recording artists:
This changes alot... let's go with lately
Crystal Castles
Samael
Mike Patton
Lady Gaga
PJ Harvey
Top 5 records:
Shit this changes alot too...more things I listen to alot lately
Crystal Castles- I/II (which I'm counting as 1)
PJ Harvey- Uh huh Her
Bjork- Greatest Hits
Minutemen- Double Nickels on the Dime
Manic Street Preachers- Journal for Plague Lovers
Top 5 songs...that I've been listening to alot lately
"The Last Day of our Acquaintance" Sinead O'Connor
"Empathy" Crystal Castles
"Svefn n Englar" Sigur Ros
"Christian Woman" Type o Negative
"Eye" The Smashing Pumpkins
What made you want to become a musician?
I'm not sure I think being artistic in some sort of avenue runs in my family so it's probably partially genetic and environmental as well. I always was musical but I didn't realize it was such a passion until about 13 or 14. I started writing alot of journal entries and poetry around then and lyrics kinda evolved from that and then I thought I could take up guitar and sing and everything else then alot more clear to me. It became a way to communicate and that was more important than anything else I had in my life.
What would you do if you weren’t a musician?
It's too hard to imagine me not doing music I'd be dead I'll always have music in me even if I end up a librarian or some sort of teacher but I'll always be a musician.
Was there a record/movie/concert that changed your life?
Seeing my friend David's bands in high school, notably the Chauvinists opened me up to the possibilities of playing live. I despised the music they made but they and the crowd seemed to have a lot of fun and that in itself made an impression on me.
What’s your favorite and least favorite things about live performance?
My favorite things include having the feeling of songs you wrote alone at 4 in the morning in your room with a guitar and notebook coming to life as you imagined it in your head then seeing people bobbing their heads and tapping their feet to it. I also like it when the sound is good, you get free drinks and you get money. Oh seeing other good bands on the bill is a highlight too.
My least favorite things about live performance are the sound being bad, the band's playing sucking, the stage lights being warm and the others bands we play with being crappy bands I don't think we've played on a bill yet where we liked most of the other acts.
What’s your favorite and least favorite things about studio recordings?
My favorite studio things are turning it into a laboratory and tweaking with things until the sound is just right. It's a good outlet for my OCD.
My least favorite thing about being in the studio is waiting around for your turn to do things and probably not being in the studio at all. I like studios and what you can do in them.
What’s your worst nightmare?
Not doing music anymore at all in any capacity
What’s your greatest fantasy?
Being a millionaire rockstar with an extensive book collection